A Versatile Dual‐Responsive Shape‐Memory Gripper via Additive Manufacturing Toward High‐Performance Cross‐Scale Objects Maneuvering

Abstract

Smart grippers serving as soft robotics have garnered extensive attentions owing to their great potentials in medical, biomedical, and industrial fields. Though a diversity of grippers that account for manipulating the small objects (e.g., tiny micrometer-scale droplets) or the big ones (e.g., centimeter-scale screw) has been proposed, however, cross-scale maneuvering of these two species leveraging an all-in-one intelligent gripper is still challenging. Here, a magnet/light dual-responsive shape-memory gripper (DR-SMG) is reported, based on the hybrid of Fe-nanoparticles and shape-memory polymers. Thanks to its photothermal effect, the closed-state DR-SMG switches to the open state under the synergetic cooperation of near-infrared-ray (NIR) and a circinate magnetic field, referring to the temporary state. On the other hand, once the NIR is loaded, the temporary opened DR-SMG would reconfigure to its permanent closed state owing to shape-memory effect. Leveraging this principle, DR-SMG can grasp and release diverse cross-scale objects ranging from micrometers to centimeters including metals, glass balls, polymers, and small liquids. Significantly, this versatile DR-SMG is capable of spatially delivering multifunctional chemical droplets and conductive liquid metals, thereby enabling lab-on-chip and electrical switch applications. This work provides new insights into intelligent grippers and further advances the field of soft robotics.